


Wild Things

by HashtagLEH



Series: Sometimes You Don't Need a Thousand Words [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Children's Stories, Hulk Feels, Hulk Needs a Hug, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Other, Tony is Sweet, where the wild things are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HashtagLEH/pseuds/HashtagLEH
Summary: They tried a lullaby to get the Hulk calmed down, but it didn't work. So Tony came up with a new plan, and it worked a lot better than expected.





	

It had started with Natasha.

They’d been trying to figure out a way to get the Hulk calmed down enough to change back into Bruce after a fight, and she’d had the idea of a lullaby of sorts. He liked listening to calming opera music after he was changed back after all, and there was no reason to think it might not calm the green rage monster in the same way.

Unfortunately, that hadn’t exactly worked. The same lullabies that she found calming he just got annoyed at, especially because it was things he’d heard before.

Tony had been brainstorming for an idea while he sat in the common area when he heard Steve talking with Bucky in the kitchen. Apparently Steve was going to go and read to the kids at the hospital, and he thought it might help Bucky to come along, too – after all, Bucky had babysat his sisters when he was younger and had even enjoyed it.

And then he’d remembered the thought he’d had several times regarding the Hulk – he wasn’t a mindless beast, but he was more closely akin to a toddler who didn’t know their own strength or how badly they could hurt other people.

He’d run his idea by Bucky later on, because Bucky was the most like Bruce in terms of knowing how it felt to have something foreign running your body. And while Bucky had been startled that it had been _him_ that Tony had gone to, he’d replied honestly that there was little harm in trying.

And so, next time they had completed a mission, Tony had flown up to the Hulk, armed with three different children’s books to choose from and a brain full of babble sure to interest the giant green guy.

Amazingly, it had worked. _Where the Wild Things Are_ had been just intriguing enough that the Hulk had stopped to consider the man in the metal armor, and he’d accepted Tony’s offer to sit and read it right there, plopping himself down in the street to gaze interestedly at the offered pictures.

“Hey, Big Green!” Tony greeted the Hulk weeks after that first time. “You ready for another story?”

The Hulk grunted, lips turning up in a pleased smile as he sat down in the street. Iron Man dropped next to him, face plate detracted into the helmet as he sat between the enormous legs so that the oversized toddler could peer over him at the pictures.

“Listen, I know you like _Where the Wild Things Are_ , but I’ve brought some variety!” Tony said. “You’ve got great pickings today – I brought _Curious George_ , _The Velveteen Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh_ , and _my_ personal favorite, _Peter Pan_! You want to try one of those today?”

“Wild things,” Hulk grunted insistently, frown almost daring him to argue.

Tony sighed. “Definitely your favorite,” he observed. “Alright, but one day you will know the joys of Peter Pan and Curious George!”

He settled in to read the Hulk’s favorite, and as soon as the last page was complete, the Hulk twitched, eyes closing, and his body shrunk to become the familiar form of Dr. Bruce Banner.

Tony’s smile softened as he scooted closer to his fellow scientist, laying a hand on his arm to support him. “Hey, Brucie,” he greeted. “Welcome back.”

**Author's Note:**

> I actually totally intended to go a couple hundred more words beyond that, but I wanted Bruce and Tony to be an implied relationship for anyone who prefers friendship for those two, and so looking back for inspiration of what to put out next I thought it was a nice enough ending.  
> Hope you enjoyed – thanks for reading!


End file.
